Two spill restoration projects approved

Published: Monday, December 31, 2012 at 1:41 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, December 31, 2012 at 1:41 p.m.

Two new projects aimed at helping beach-nesting birds and sea turtles impacted by the 2010 BP oil spill will move forward this year.

Following a 30-day comment period, federal and state officials tasked with doling out $1 billion in early spill fine money for restoration work completed plans for the two projects.

That council approved a sea turtle nesting project in Alabama and Florida that aims to retrofit existing lights near beaches with lights that are dimmer or filtered. That's because baby sea turtles hatching on the beach may be drawn to bright lights on homes, parks and piers on their journey from the nest to the water. That can result in their death.

All five species of sea turtles in the Gulf are either endangered or threatened, and many turtles were oiled during the spill.

The second project aims to reduce disturbances to birds nesting on beach habitats in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi by better-protecting nesting grounds and increasing control on predators in the area.

Federal wildlife officials collected 7,258 oiled, injured or dead birds during the spill response. Environmental officials have said that many more birds could have been injured or killed by oil and never found by scientists.

The two projects together will cost $9 million.

The money is a down payment from the Natural Resources Damage Assessment, a years-long process that systematically catalogues damage to the environment from the oil spill and creates a plan BP must pay for to restore the environment to pre-spill conditions. Public meetings have been held around the coast to solicit ideas about how to spend those dollars.

Because that process is expected to take years, if not decades, BP agreed to pay $1 billion quickly and begin environmental-restoration projects along the Gulf Coast.

While none of these projects will take place in Louisiana, environmental officials said they are important because they address habitats for animals that travel a wide area of the Gulf.

"It is encouraging to see (Natural Resource Damage Assessment) projects that address both the coastal and marine restoration resources critical to supporting our Gulf way of life," said Bethany Kraft, director of Ocean Conservancy's Gulf Restoration Program. "It is essential that we continue to advance marine restoration projects, like these sea turtle and bird habitat protection projects, in order to fully recover from the BP oil disaster and address long-standing environmental degradation as well."

This is the second phase of early restoration money approved by the Natural Resources Damage Assessment council, which is made up of representatives of the Gulf states and federal environmental officials.

The first phase of restoration paid for $14.8 million in oyster restoration work in Louisiana, along with a $13.2 million marsh-creation project in Lake Hermitage in Plaquemines Parish.

Louisiana officials have complained in the past that the pace of the early restoration work has been too slow. It has been more than a year since the money was announced, and just $70 million of the $1 billion has been allocated. Members of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment Trustee Council agreed that was a problem.

"These additional projects are important steps in recovering from the oil spill, but they, along with the other phase-one projects, are just first steps," said Trudy Fisher, chairwoman of the council. "Use of the early restoration funding has not moved quickly enough to suit any of us. I want to stress that the NRDA trustees are working hard to see that restoration funding is used in a way that is in the best interest of our natural resources."

Officials said the nesting projects were fast-tracked because they had to get underway before the next nesting season in the spring. Additional early restoration planning is under way, and the Natural Resources Damage Assessment continues.

"We greatly appreciate both the public's engagement in this process and their support for these projects," said Rachel Jacobson, the Department of the Interior's principal deputy assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. "Implementing projects as quickly as possible will benefit our precious natural resources, the uses they support and the local economy to which they are linked."

You can get updates on the early restoration projects at www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.

Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.

<p>Two new projects aimed at helping beach-nesting birds and sea turtles impacted by the 2010 BP oil spill will move forward this year.</p><p>Following a 30-day comment period, federal and state officials tasked with doling out $1 billion in early spill fine money for restoration work completed plans for the two projects.</p><p>That council approved a sea turtle nesting project in Alabama and Florida that aims to retrofit existing lights near beaches with lights that are dimmer or filtered. That's because baby sea turtles hatching on the beach may be drawn to bright lights on homes, parks and piers on their journey from the nest to the water. That can result in their death. </p><p>All five species of sea turtles in the Gulf are either endangered or threatened, and many turtles were oiled during the spill.</p><p>The second project aims to reduce disturbances to birds nesting on beach habitats in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi by better-protecting nesting grounds and increasing control on predators in the area.</p><p>Federal wildlife officials collected 7,258 oiled, injured or dead birds during the spill response. Environmental officials have said that many more birds could have been injured or killed by oil and never found by scientists.</p><p>The two projects together will cost $9 million.</p><p>The money is a down payment from the Natural Resources Damage Assessment, a years-long process that systematically catalogues damage to the environment from the oil spill and creates a plan BP must pay for to restore the environment to pre-spill conditions. Public meetings have been held around the coast to solicit ideas about how to spend those dollars. </p><p>Because that process is expected to take years, if not decades, BP agreed to pay $1 billion quickly and begin environmental-restoration projects along the Gulf Coast.</p><p>While none of these projects will take place in Louisiana, environmental officials said they are important because they address habitats for animals that travel a wide area of the Gulf.</p><p>"It is encouraging to see (Natural Resource Damage Assessment) projects that address both the coastal and marine restoration resources critical to supporting our Gulf way of life," said Bethany Kraft, director of Ocean Conservancy's Gulf Restoration Program. "It is essential that we continue to advance marine restoration projects, like these sea turtle and bird habitat protection projects, in order to fully recover from the BP oil disaster and address long-standing environmental degradation as well." </p><p>This is the second phase of early restoration money approved by the Natural Resources Damage Assessment council, which is made up of representatives of the Gulf states and federal environmental officials.</p><p>The first phase of restoration paid for $14.8 million in oyster restoration work in Louisiana, along with a $13.2 million marsh-creation project in Lake Hermitage in Plaquemines Parish.</p><p>Louisiana officials have complained in the past that the pace of the early restoration work has been too slow. It has been more than a year since the money was announced, and just $70 million of the $1 billion has been allocated. Members of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment Trustee Council agreed that was a problem.</p><p>"These additional projects are important steps in recovering from the oil spill, but they, along with the other phase-one projects, are just first steps," said Trudy Fisher, chairwoman of the council. "Use of the early restoration funding has not moved quickly enough to suit any of us. I want to stress that the NRDA trustees are working hard to see that restoration funding is used in a way that is in the best interest of our natural resources." </p><p>Officials said the nesting projects were fast-tracked because they had to get underway before the next nesting season in the spring. Additional early restoration planning is under way, and the Natural Resources Damage Assessment continues.</p><p>"We greatly appreciate both the public's engagement in this process and their support for these projects," said Rachel Jacobson, the Department of the Interior's principal deputy assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. "Implementing projects as quickly as possible will benefit our precious natural resources, the uses they support and the local economy to which they are linked." </p><p>You can get updates on the early restoration projects at www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov. </p><p>Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.</p>